End grinding of bearing rollers



Oct. 23, 1951 T. A. OLSON END GRINDING OF BEARING ROLLERS 2 SHEETSSHEET l Filed Aug. 51, 1948 /NVENTOQ M a. 01% 5) Oct. 23, 1951 T. A. OLSON 2,572,187

END GRINDING OF BEARING ROLLERS Filed Aug. 31, 1948 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2 H/ ATTORNEY Patented ct.

Gitiifli'ifi oF hernias Theodore outfi Pom eii: i iaiiis, it 5., as: signer to General -Motorscorporation, Detroit, Mich; a cmporatioir of Delaware Applies-11011 Augean, 19R, see 1'1' I i;47",05 1

1e Glaimsia (01. 51-430) acte'r; the invention coiisists m the var-iousmattergheiemarter described and claimed;

the drawings;- Fig. 1 i chiefly a vertical section of the machine on line |-l' o f- Figi Fig; 2' is a pl'a'nview or: important elements of Figs a side view of aloading blockah'd its support. s

Fig; 4 is a p1anview' of a neiecting device.

Fig. 5 is a front View ofFig; 4; Fig. 6 isa plan: view of a ring.

Fig. '7 is a sectional View on line 1-"|'of Fig; 6 a Firstoutlining the operation; tapered rollers are ground at their ends by a grinding wheel hav iii'g 'as'pherical zone. Theroller's are'rotated on: their axes many times while travelling bodily-in a circular channel formed between two oppositely rotating members which have conical: work en ga'g'ing surfaces one outside of the other; The conical surfaces position the rollers sothat their axes always point to a common pointwhich is the apex of the included angle and that apex is the center of curvature of the abrasive-surface; The wheel axis is ofiset or inclined so that a por tion of the channel is exposed for insertion and" removal of the rollers in a continuous operation. The lease plate 2 rectangular and' has an upstanding rim formed by angle irons Qiastened:

mist introduced through a radial hole 24 having- Jou'tnalled for rotation in the bushings is a hollow shaft or sleeve 26- haying a -fiange restingi cit the upper bushing and provided witha circular shield 2'8 overlapping theuppe'r end of. the'h'ous iiigi- The sleeve 26-has'an externalgroove 2:90p peace the'op'er'iihg 24 and radial holes extend tram the groove through the sleeve to direct the mere ca-iil'ito beaiihgbushings '30 and 32 and to ball st bearing 34'. The upper bushing 30 is sim' iiar tethe tusmngs I8 butthe lower bushing 32 lacks slots at the lower end which engages the" upper" washer: oi the ball thrust bearing;- A" s ofid hollow shaft or sleeve 36 is journalle'd fel rotation the bushings '30 and 32 and its uppe end has a. flange resting on the upper blis iii'g Thelow'er'end of the sleeve 26 has a d i pulley 38-'and the lower end of the'shaft 35 has 'a" driving pulley 40, these pulleys driving the l sleeves in opposite directions at slightly different speeds from" a suitable source. i

Fas-ten'ed by screws to the upper end of. the shaft 36' with a spacer 42 interposed between an externally. circular member, which may be a; ring, but is herein shown as a disc 44 having a conical periphery and an upper surface which is a segment of a sphere or otherwise'shaped to conform closely to the surface of a grinding wheel G which is drivenon an inclined axis. The disc carries a diamond 46 to keep the wheel dressed.

engage the tapered rollers R in oppesition to andsurrounding the conical face on the disc 44, these conical faces making the same angle with one another as the included angle of the rollers and the apex of the cones intersecting at a common point where the apex of the rollers would meet if produced. To discharge grit the ring 54 has a series of horizontally elongated slots 56 which slant do wnwardly through it from the annular space below the rollers. The conical faces of the: disc and the ring are spaced apart to form a circular channel for guiding tapered rollers sidewise'in an: arcuate' path. The rollers naturally locate themselves with their axes pointing to a common center at the apex of the conical surfaces. v v 1 p I Since the grinding wheel axis is inclined or off:

set: out of alignment with the common axes of the disc 46 and-the ring 54', a; portion of the cir cular channel between-theconical work engaging surfaces is exposed for insertion and removal or the rollers. The rollers are delivered small end first from a flexible feed tube 60 into a hollow loading block 62 having an inclined bore. The block is secured by screws to a slanting surface on a bracket 64 whose base is fixed to the top of the plate 12. After rotating on their axes many times and traveling bodily around the channel between the oppositely rotating conical surfaces for the greater part of a revolution, the tapered rollers are expelled by a cam surface 66 on an ejecting finger 68. This finger project downwardly be,-

tween the conical faces and laterally in a curve to lie in the path of and engage the small end of each ground roller which rides up the cam surface and is discharged. The finger has a slotted upper portion 10 which is adjustably secured by screws to a slanting surface on a bracket 12 fastened on the top of the plate (2.

The grinding wheel G comprises a ring of abrasive whose lower surface is the zone of a sphere when the ends of the rollers are to be made spherical. The wheel is secured to a plate 14 which is secured to a conventional grinding spindle mounted for rotation in a quill 16 set at an angle to the vertical and adjustable to feed the grinding spindle longitudinally of its axis. The axis of the spindle is arranged to intersect the apex of the conical surfaces and this apex is the center of curvature of the spherical zone of the grinding wheel. The grinding wheel is driven at usual grinding speed. Suitable speed of rotation of the disc 54 is 100 R. P. M. clockwise, and for the ring 54 it is 96 R. P. M. counterclockwise. This differential will cause bodily travel of the rollers in an arcuate path at a bodily speed'of 2 R. P. M. but the rollers being of relatively small diameter will rotate on their axes many times between their points of insertion and removal. For rollers of different dimensions, the disc '44 and the ring 54 are readily replaced. by other suitably dimensioned ones.

I claim:

1. In a machine of the character indicated, a disc having a peripheral work engaging surface, a ring having an interior surface surrounding the first surface and forming a circular channel therewith for guiding elongated articles sidewise, means for rotating the disc in one direction, means for rotating the ring in the opposite direction at a different speed, a rotary abrasive wheel having its axis out of alignment with the axes of the disc and the ring to leave a portion of the channel exposed, means for introducing articles endwise into the channel at the exposed portion, and means for removing end-ground articles at an adjacent point aftertravel along the abrasive wheel.

- 2. In a machine of the character indicated, a disc having a conical work engaging surface, a ring having a cooperating conical surface surrounding the first conical surface and forming therewith a circular path of travel for tapered rollers, means for rotating the disc in one direc for removing end ground rollers at an adjacentpoint after travel along the abrasive wheel.

-- 3. In a machine of the character indicated, a

disc having a conical work engaging surface, 8 ring having a cooperating conical surface surrounding the first conical surface to form therewith a circular channel for grinding tapered rollers, means for rotating the disc and the ring in opposite directions at different speeds, a rotary wheel having an annular abrasive surface and an axis of rotation out of alignment with the axes of the disc and the ring to leave a small portion of the channel exposed and to cover the greater portion, means for introducing tapered rollers endwise into the channel at the exposed portion, and means for removing end-ground rollers at an adjacent point of the channel.

4. In amachine of the character indicated, a disc having a peripheral work engaging surface, a rotary ring having an interior surface surrounding the first surface and forming a circular channel therewith for guiding elongated articles sidewise, means for rotating the disc in one direction, means for rotating the ring in the opposite direction at a different speed, and a rotary wheel having an abrasive surface to engage projecting ends of the articles as they progress sidewise in the channel, said wheel being driven and having itsaxis inclined at an angle to the axis of the rotary ring to expose a portion of the circular channel, V

.5. In a machine of the character indicated, a disc having a peripheral work engaging surface, a rotary ring having an interior surface surrounding the first surface and forming a circular channel therewith for guiding elongated articles sidewise, means for rotating the disc in one direction, means for rotating the ring in the opposite direction. at a different speed, and a rotatably driven concave abrading surface engaging the projecting ends of the articles as they progress sidewise in the circular channel, said abrasive surface being a spherical zone and having its axis tilted with respect to the axis of the rotary ring.

"6. 'In a machine of the character indicated, a disc having a conical work engaging surface, a rotary ring having an interior conical surface surrounding the first surface and forming a circular channel therewith for guiding conical rollers sidewise, means for rotating the disc and the ring in opposite directions at slightly different speeds, a rotary wheel having a spherical abrasive surface engaging the projecting ends of the rollers," and the axis of rotation of the wheel bein placed at an angle to the axes of the disc and the ring to leave a portion of the channel uricovered.

7. In a machine of the character indicated, a disc having a conical work engaging surface, a rotary ring having an interior conical surface surroundingthe first surface and spaced therefrom to form a circular channel for guiding conical rollers, means for journalling the ring for rota' tion, means for rotatably driving the ring to cause the rollers to rotate and progress circumferentially in the channel, and a rotary wheel having an abrasive surface covering the greater portion of the circular channel for abrading the ends of conical rollers inserted and removed at the uncovered portion of the channel in a continuous operation.

8.-In 'a machine of the character indicated, a disc having a peripheral work engaging surface,

a rotary circular ring having an interior surfaceentirely surrounding the first surface and forming a circular channel therewith-for guiding elon; gated articles. sidewise, the opposed surfaces, of? thev discand the ringbeing conical with a com-ffv mon apex in the common axis of the disc and the ring, the wider side of the circular channel facing upwardly, a rotary abrasive wheel having its axis out of alignment with the axis of the disc to leave a portion of the channel exposed, a feed tube directed downwardly towards the apex of the conical surfaces for introducing articles endwise one at a time into the channel at the exposed portion, and a member projecting into the channel from the wider side thereof at the ex-' Posed portion and having a cam surface extending into the path of ground articles to remove them upwardly and endwise from the channel.

9. In a machine of the character indicated, a disc having a conical work engaging surface, a ring having an interior conical surface surrounding the first surface and forming a circular channel therewith for guiding tapered rollers sidewise, means for rotating the disc in one direction, means for rotating the ring in the opposite direction at a different speed, a rotary abrasive wheel engaging the ends of the rollers and having its axis out of alignment with the axes of the disc and the ring to leave a portion of the channel exposed, means for introducing rollers small end foremost into the channel at the exposed portion, and a member having a cam surface to engage the small ends of ground rollers as they approach the exposed portion for removing the rollers from the channel.

10. In a machine of the character indicated, a disc having a peripheral work engaging surface, a ring having an interior surface surrounding the first surface and forming a circular channel therewith to guide elongated articles sidewise, means for rotating the disc, a rotary wheel having an annular abrasive surface to engage the ends of the articles projecting from the channel, the axis of rotation of the wheel being offset from the axis of the disc to cause a relative wiping action between the abrasive surface and the ends of the articles, and a wheel dressing diamond carried by the disc at a point near the channel.

11. In a machine of the character indicated, a

6 7 articles projecting from the channel, the axis of the wheel being inclined to the axis of the disc, and a wheel dressing diamond carried by one of the rotary members which form the channel.

12. In a machine of the character indicated, a support, a hollow shaft journalled for rotation in the support, an inner shaft journalled for rotation in the hollow shaft, means for rotating said shafts, a member fixed to one end of the inner shaft and having a peripheral work engaging surface, a, ring fixed to one end of the hollow shaft and having an interior work engaging surface surrounding the first surface to form a circular work guiding channel therewith, an abrasive member for operating on the projecting ends of articles in the channel, and the ring having radial openings extending therethrough from one end of its interior surface to discharge grit.

13. In a machine of the character indicated, a support, a hollow shaft journalled for rotation in the support, an inner shaft journalled for rotation in the hollow shaft, means for rotating said shafts, a member fixed to one end of the inner shaft and having a peripheral work engaging surface, a ring fixed to one end of the hollow shaft and having an interior work engaging surface surrounding the first surface to form a circular work guiding channel therewith, an abrasive member for operating on the projecting ends of articles in the channel, the ring having radial openings extending therethrough from one end of its interior surface to discharge grit, and a circular shield between the ring and said member.

THEODORE A. OLSON.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 609,219 White Aug. 16, 1898 891,992 Hess June 20, 1908 1,055,807 Schmidt Mar. 11, 1913 1,483,754 Svenson Feb. 12, 1924 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 81,491 Germany June 12, 1895 

